Hypnagogia
by May'sDecember
Summary: ...is one of the most fascinating altered states of consciousness we can experience without the use of drugs..in the hypnagogic state, visions, voices, weird insights and unusual sensations greet us as we drift out of consciousness... Gary Lachman
1. Prologue

**_I'll be brief because I know you didn't come here to listen to me babble on about myself. My name is TheMeltingBoy and this is my first Harvest Moon FanFiction. I appreciate any kind of reviews, however, I do prefer intellectual ones with some honest criticism. Well I said I will be brief so I'll let you get on to the story._**

**_ Disclaimer: I don't own Harvest Moon or any other Natsume games. I do however own my imagination._**

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Hypnagogia

_**Prologue**_

Summertime was in full swing; the days were long, nights were warm, and the ocean was high. Life was on track and everything had been going just as it had for the last decade, like a merry-go-round that would never stop. It was enough to drive someone mad.

But that summer nobody in the small town of Flowerbud Village would have to worry about going mad from the heat, oh no, there were much worse problems headed their way.

According to travel pamphlets, a desperate and unsuccessful attempt to attract tourists, Flowerbud Village was 'the ideal small community that was rarely seen in this day in age. A place where the villagers were friendly, the shops were unique, and the nature mesmerizing'.

Unfortunately the advertisement failed to mention that the town could only be reached by boat, of which there is only one. That is, unless you live in one of the other small communities located on Harvest Island. But neighboring townspeople don't qualify as tourists.

In 1921, the eve of the Great Depression, Flowerbud Village was established by a small group of people looking to create a socialist community. They were successful in creating one but in 1929, when the Great Depression began, the socialist community collapsed under panic and distress.

Oliver McPike was the man who restored peace to the community after the socialist collapse. Later in the year he became Mayor and the town flourished for twenty years under his guidance. But disaster struck once more. Mayor McPike died by choking on his own tongue during a seizer. In the wake of his death Martin Hansbrough, a local farmer, announced that he was the new mayor.

Under Hasbrough's rule Flowerbud village was swept into a quasi-dictatorship. During that time communication with outside life was cut off and the village was swept behind a curtain of darkness. In 1989, forty years after Hasbrough took control of the village, he died. It was an accidental drowning according to a police report, however, there are no official autopsy.

The population of the town diminished during the forty year span and after Hasbrough's death many of the villagers left, leaving Flowerbud in a run-down state with a population of approximately five.

Now, at the beginning of the new millennium, the village has finally begun to flourish again. While at a population of about forty, the town maintains a stable economic and political structure. Mayor Theodore Holmes, a descendent of Oliver McPike, is to thank for this because for the last twelve years he had been working nonstop to return the village to glory.

Unknown to Mayor Holmes his term as Mayor would be cut short and he would be unable to complete his goal of making Flowerbud Village win the BSCA-Best Small Community Award. Twenty-seven days into summer he would die. There would be no autopsy report, no police records, no death certificate.

For at the edge of dreams and reality something lurks around every corner, under every bed, behind each closed door.

Welcome to hypnagogia.

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Maria Holmes walked along the rows of bookshelves in Flowerbud Library in search of misplaced books. As usual there were none and she returned back to her librarian desk where she would sit and watch time tick by. Visitors were a rare sight and most of the villagers only came in to chat to her. 

Solemnly she looked out the window, it was casting bright noontime sunlight onto her black hair making it shine. Right now all the girls her age were probably flirting with their boyfriends at the beach or at the top of Mount Moon cuddling. Momentarily she wondered where hers was and remembered that he was always fishing at noon.

Ray Daniels was his name and fishing was his game- actually it was more like and obsession, there didn't seem to be a single moment when he wasn't. An idol has displaced me, Maria thought quoting Dickens.

But what if he wasn't really out fishing? What if he was with another woman? Instead of anger Maria was feeling excitement. Well then I guess I'm just going to have to check on him to make sure. In her heart she knew he wouldn't cheat on her, not that he was a perfect boyfriend or anything but because no girl would want him. It was a mean thought but the truth, even she was beginning to lose affection for him.

Maria got out from behind the desk and turned the OPEN sign in the front window to CLOSED. Momentarily she looked in the mirror to see if she was presentable. Not much of a vain person she spent less then a second deciding that she looked perfectly fine for a summers day. Although it would be considerably hot for her in the gray dress she wore, not to mention hard to walk through the dirt streets in her black heels.

Warm air hit her when she first opened the door and instantly she felt a tiny drop of sweat drip down her neck. But anything was better than being trapped in the library waiting for visitors that would never come. She walked down the path that lead to Forest Pond, Ray's favorite fishing spot, and along the way she passed by a few buildings.

The first, which was kitty corner from the library, was the Café Callaway. Inside she could see a young girl with brown curls and a waitress' dress on serve a few of the locals. Katie Thompson was her name, she lived and worked at the café with its owner Carl Callaway. Rumors were that they had a little romance going on but Maria figured that that was just a silly lie used to stir up excitement in a small town.

Just like Ray cheating on you. She ignored her inner voice.

The table Katie was currently serving had a cute couple seated at it. The boy had disheveled black hair and glasses and his outfit resembled that of an office worker. The girl, presumably his date, had her orange hair tied into a ponytail. Her cloths were boyish and covered with black spots. They were locals Ann Covington and Louis Watts- both of whom were inventers.

Just about three weeks ago Ray had taken her there but it had been a horrible attempt at a date. Ray wouldn't quit talking about the "big fish" he had caught the other day and when Katie had come to take their order he ordered for the both of them. Moments later a platter of fish stew was set down right in front of her.

Maria hated fish but there was no way she would tell her fish obsessed boyfriend that. She made up the excuse that her stomach wasn't feeling good that day and said she should be getting home to rest. Before she could even finish the sentence he was up and halfway to the front door. As he exited he said that he hoped she felt better and that he was going fishing. Minutes passed and Maria had sat there starring at the front door, the check for the two unfinished fish stews in front of her.

Maybe she did hope he was cheating on her, if he was then she could easily dump him.

Just fifty yards down the road from the café was Spring Bridge and beyond that the Perch Inn. Maria was curious as to how it stayed open seeing that there weren't any tourists.

Her heels echoed as she crossed the bridge and beneath her she could hear the peaceful sound of rushing water. Flowerbud Village did have an appealing nature aspect to it with all the natural streams and healthy forests. A big bonus to its tourist points seeing as most of the big cities were thick with smog and grime. However big grimy cities had one thing that Flowerbud didn't, and that was massive shopping centers.

Smells of delicious foods filled her nose as she walked past the inn. If they weren't staying open on tourist money then it was the villagers buying Gwen Rancourt's amazing food that was keeping them up.

She continued past the Inn and found herself approaching Sping Farm, a prosperous family run farm that glowed with tender radiance. A sweet melody was drifting out from a patch of tomato bushes and in the mix of ripe red tomatoes Maria could see Nina Loomas' rosy red hair. Nina was water the plants and as Maria walked by her head looked up and she smiled.

"Good afternoon Maria!" She chirped; everything about Nina was lively, from her hair to her bubbly personality.

Maria smiled and replied with the same greeting she had received. While Nina's smile and voice had been inviting Maria knew that to make small talk in the middle of gardening hour would be a mistake for Nina's mother Liz would surely chew her daughter out for slacking off.

Ms. Loomis wasn't a mean woman; she shared both her daughter's looks and personality but the woman had high expectations when it came to the crops. Both her and her late husband had purchased the farm and pored everything they had into it and when Mr. Loomis died everyone was sure the farm would die with him. But Liz had remained strong, not once letting the grief take over her ability to run the farm.

A month after his death she discovered that she was pregnant. Somehow the woman was able to continue with her intense workload while carrying the baby. Even after Nina's birth Liz continued to work the same hours as she had and with that her daughter grew accustomed to being outside in the garden crops.

That farm was everything to Liz and for it to go to ruins would surely kill her.

Hearing children's laughter distracted Maria from her walk to Spring Pond. Cheerful cries escaped a little boy's mouth as him and his dog ran along the beaches edge. His name escaped her and no matter how hard she tried she just couldn't remember it, though she knew that he was the grandson of the village's blacksmith.

Continuing on her way to find Ray, the exact reason for which she wanted to see him forgotten by now, Maria made right alongside the western edge of Spring Farm. From a side window she was Liz arranging various seed packets at the front of the store.

A few feet later she was staring at the front door of a massive wooden house nestled in the edge of a small forest of trees. Somewhere behind the building there came a steady chopping sound, nothing unusual when the place was the blacksmiths cabin. An old man lived there along with his two apprentices, both of which were quite the eye candy.

Ray flashed into her mind and she frowned. Out of all the local bachelors she had chosen him, the one who was the least attractive in both personality and looks.

Why all of a sudden did she feel such a bitter anger towards him? Had he done anything wrong to her? Had he treated her unfairly? To all of them she answered no. Unable to pinpoint the exact origin of the emotions she was getting Maria forced herself to shrug them away and admire the beautiful landscape surrounding her.

By the time Maria reached Spring Pond the sun had begun its decent towards the distant horizon, she hadn't realized how long it takes to actually make it to the pond. At first glance she saw nothing but the clear pond water surrounded by a dozen or so trees, all cast in the shadow of the rock wall that ascended past the tips of the trees. People called the plateau that rested on the rock wall lover's leap for legend once told a tale that a young couple whose love for each other was forbidden jumped off the cliff and into the pong below where they drowned in each others arms.

Quite touching, but not something Maria would do for her man. Besides he would probably leave her to drown while he admired the fish in the pond. Where was he anyway? Maria hoped she hadn't walked all the way over to the secluded place just to find out he wasn't there.

Then she saw him, he was sprawled out underneath on of the shade trees, his fishing rod lying next to him. Suddenly all the bitterness she had been feeling went away. There was something about his peaceful state that contained a sort of majestic beauty, a hidden loveliness that an awakened Ray could not exude. His messy brown hair was swept across one closed eye and his stomach moved up and down ever so slightly with each slow breath.

Removing her heels so that they would not sink into the soft green grass that surrounded the pond, Maria made her way barefoot over to her sleeping boyfriend making sure not to awaken him with her approach.

How could she ever think such bad things about him? At this moment even if she tried she would fail at finding any flaw he had about him.

Carefully she brought herself to her knees next to him and looked into his closed eyelids. She wondered what he was dreaming about.

Fish most likely.

That response didn't register with Maria and she continued gazing at him with wonder. In so few moments she had become captivating by his sleeping beauty and couldn't find away to break herself out of the spell he had cast upon her.

Gently she laid her head onto his chest closed her eyes. She could hear the steady rhythm of his heart beating and as her herself drifted into sleep she felt his arms wrap around her.

She loved him.


	2. Summer 21st

**Hey there i got a few quick things to say then i'll let you get back to the story. First i'd like to thank The-Music-of-hands and Flaming Black Skull for reviewing, it is greatly appreciated. Secondly I messed up on the disclaimer, I do own the harvest moon games but i do not own the rights to the character and all that. Third...ummm...oh, this chapter is a little shorter than the prologue. I hope you enjoy. And thank you for reading.**

**-TheMeltingBoy**

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Hypnagogia

Chapter One: _Summer 21__st_

Twenty-four hours had passed since Maria had fallen asleep in her boyfriend's arms; the two were now sitting at a small table in the petite Café Callaway. Through the window the descending sun could be seen along with purple hued clouds. The café was lit dimly by candles positioned on each table and behind the counter Katie counted the days earnings while casting occasional glances at the couple.

Maria let out a giggle as Ray said something witty. It wasn't because what he said had the slightest hint of humor in it, on the contrary everything he said was dull and boring, but because she was trying to make it seem like they were having a wonderful date. She was trying to make this work. After falling asleep in his arms yesterday she thought the maybe, just maybe, things would begin to change for the better. They hadn't.

Slowly, while keeping her eyes locked with Ray's, she took a sip of her red wine. Occasionally she would nod at appropriate spots so he wouldn't catch on to the fact that she wasn't giving a shit about what he was saying. Just end it, she kept telling herself, he isn't worth it. You can get your hands on any man you want, why settle with this dead fish?

Ray halted in his speech for a moment and gave Maria a puzzled look. "Is something wrong?"

Yes! Everything is wrong, I cant do this anymore! Im sick and tired of pretending that I actually care about you, of smiling every time you expect me to smile, of forcing myself to tell you that I love you when I really don't! Im tired of all that! Maybe if your mother hadn't hit you over the head with a frozen fish then you might be able to see that. And in her mind she rose up from the table and splashed the remaining wine in his face; Katie clapped and cheered as Maria triumphantly walked out of the Café a single woman.

Except that only happened in her mind and in reality she flashed him a fake smile and said she was fine. If he asks me again I'll tell him the truth; but he didn't, instead he continued on with the one sided conversation.

A small clock on the wall behind Ray said the time was 6:43; an hour had passed since they had arrived and there seemed to be no end to the downward spiraling date.

"Excuse me for a moment," She said abruptly halting Rays words. Sliding the chair out from under the small table she crossed to the back of the café where the bathrooms were located. Once inside Maria splashed water against her face and looked at herself in the mirror.

"What are you doing to yourself Maria?" She said aloud. Sighing, she grabbed some paper towels and dried her face. As she made her way into the front part of the café she wished that she had just jumped out the damn window and left the pitiful slob to wait there. Now Maria's thoughts were preoccupied with how long Ray would have gone on sitting there until he realized that she had left him. Even if she did do that he still probably wouldn't have gotten the hint.

But she knew that in her heart she could have never done such a thing. To do so would look bad against her; besides only hussies on blind dates did such a thing.

Smiling again she sat down. "Sorry, I felt a little nauseous," Maria began to explain, "but I'm…"

He cut her off. "I know just the feeling. Once when I was in a fishing tournament the water looked so…" And on he went. Her eyes glanced at the butter knife in front of her and she desperately wanted to end her misery with it.

At 7:38 her suffering ended as Ray paid the bill, a small celebration party was happening in Maria's head. It was a miracle that she had made it through the evening.

"Goodnight," Katie chirped as the two walked out of the café. Maria made a left and started heading towards her house and to her dismay Ray followed. Damnit, why is he going this way? Turing to him she flashed a fake smile and then made a serious face.

"Where are you going?" She asked, trying not to sound too rude. Go away! Is what she really wanted to say.

"Why I'm walking a beautiful woman home." Cheesy as hell. Did he really think that a line like that would impress her?

"Oh…" Maria quickened her pace and so did Ray. He hadn't got the hint to back off.

The cool summer's night breeze blew against her and Maria wished she had worn something warmer instead of the casual grey dress she currently had on. A quick glance over at Ray revealed that he had slipped on a woolen coat and looked pleasantly warm.

Thank you asshole. What was she doing with this guy anyway? Wasn't it just yesterday that she had wanted him to be cheating on her so she could break up with him? Hadn't she said that there were millions of fish in the sea just waiting to bite her bait? Yes all of that was true. Maria realized that it was now or never, she had to break up with Ray before her mind changed again.

"Ray I need to talk to you about something," She stopped in the middle of the dirt path and turned to Ray. A blank look was slapped across his face and it was apparent he hadn't the slightest clue about what she was going to say.

Do I really pull off the woman-in-love routine that well? Does he actually not have the slightest idea that I am about to break up with him?

Maria opened her mouth to say the long awaited words that would free her from the imprisonment of her relationship, but nothing came out. Instead her eyes widened and she began to back up. About twenty feet behind Ray a black dog stood, its back arched and mouth growling. In its cold dark eyes she could see the desire to strike. At her or Ray she was uncertain but it indeed wanted to strike. Where had it come from? Never before had she seen it in the village, so who did it belong to?

"Maria, what is it?" Ray grabbed her shoulder. Unaware that there was a vicious dog behind them.

"There's a rabid dog!" She shouted, thrusting her finger in the direction the dog was at. Ray spun around and stopped; he began to laugh.

"What is wrong with you!" She shoved him aside and looked over to where she had seen the dog; nothing was over there except for a bush.

"Good one, I actually fell for it," He exclaimed with a smile stretching across the sides of his face.

Maria wondered where the dog had gone. She was certain it was going to charge at them. Did she just imagine it? No, she couldn't have, it was so real.

"There was a dog there, I swear!"

"I believe you Maria, now lets get you home." But in his voice she could tell he didn't believe her, that he thought she must be tired and hallucinating things.

Maybe I am, she admitted to herself. But it sure as hell was one realistic hallucination.

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**A/N: The next chapter should be up by Friday or Saturday. Thanks for reading.**


	3. Summer 22nd

**_A/N: I am so sorry for the major delay in the update. High School is really taking a toll on me so I haven't had a chance to sit down and write something serious. Here is chapter two; I wish i could say it makes up for the wait but...yeah. Thanks for the reviews everyone, especially the constructive criticism (I can never get better if i don't know what i'm doing wrong),they really encouraged me to sit my butt down and write. So, enjoy._**

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**Hypnagogia**

**Chapter Two: **_Summer 22nd_

Maria cast nervous glances out the front window of the library; her mind still shaken from the incident of the previous night. Outside it was perfectly bright and sunny, as if the town had become a landscape portrait painted Norman Rockwell style. The overall feel the day was giving off was a drastic contrast to how Maria felt emotionally.

With each day that passed she grew more frustrated with herself for not ending things with Ray; the longer she waited the worse it would be when she finally broke up with him. But it wasn't just the Ray situation that made her feel rotten on the inside, her entire night had been a restless one; her dreams plagued with that black dog.

In a trancelike state she turned her gaze away from the window and walked over to one of the bookshelves, her hand reaching out for a book feet before she reached it. When her fingertips brushed against the spin of a book her eye blinked several times and she drew her hand back quickly.

Many a time she had done such things; always a result of lack of sleep and stress. She thought about taking the day off before going to work, but when she told her intentions to her father over breakfast he had looked her dead in the eye and put on a guilt routine, cracking Maria and making her go into work. After all, if everyone decided to take the day off because they felt like it then the entire town would fall into ruin.

Yeah, Maria thought to herself, like the library closing for one day will lead to the destruction of the town's economic structure. Sometimes she just wanted to slap sense into her father; many of the things he said these days were complete bull-shit.

"Excuse me, is this the library?" a soft voice asked. Maria almost jumped; she hadn't heard the front door open.

No shit Sherlock, would have been her reply if she hadn't turned around to see a beautiful young woman standing at the front door. The woman appeared to be about the same age as Maria, with dazzling features that would make the most beautiful girls in town green with envy. But the most noticeable feature, aside from her shining black hair and porcelain complexion, were her eyes; they were faded gray. Maria couldn't pull her own eyes away from them, they seemed unseeing, and yet, all knowing.

Still entranced by the woman, Maria trembled a reply, "Yes, this is the library. How may I help you?" The woman gave a slight smile and to a step towards Maria, and as she walked she seemed to glide; her eyes unblinking. Such grace this mysterious woman had, even Maria felt envious.

Before she knew it the woman was inches in front of her. She lifter her hand and brought it to Maria's cheek, gently she brushed her hand lightly against Maria's skin, sending shivers throughout her body.

"Yes," the word came off her lips so softly. "I am looking for…" she paused momentarily, not once taking her blind eyes off of Maria, and yet she did not feel uneasy. "Ah, now I remember, I'm looking for a woman name Maria. Do you happen to know her?" the woman turned away from Maria and made her way over to the bookshelf Maria had just went over to, her hands brushing against the spins of all the books as she walked down the aisle.

"I am Maria," the woman, who Maria had never seen before and yet felt like she knew, turned her head ever so slightly and Maria caught what looked like a smile across her face.

"Hello Maria, my name is Mary." She continued her way down the aisle of books as Maria looked on in bewildered curiosity. Mary, did she know a Mary?

"Do I know you?"

"No, however, I did know your mother." In her heart Maria felt a sharp blow of pain. Her mother, but how? Maria's mother had died when she was barely a year old, so how could this strange woman know her mother?

"How?"

"She used to take care of me while she was pregnant, but after giving birth we lost touch." The woman turned the corner into another row of bookshelves; Maria hurried to that row. "But let us not dwell on the past, for the future is why I am here. You see Maria, you future is my concern. At this moment you are headed down the wrong path and so I have come to put you back on course, back to the path you are destined to be on."

Maria could do nothing but stare at Mary; her mind trying to analyze the information she had been given.

"You want to end things with your boyfriend, Ray, and I would strongly advise you to not do such a foolish thing. He's a wonderful man Maria, you just can't see that, and that is your flaw; you can't see past your applied image of others. Your views on people are highly dogmatic; you expect everyone to be flawless like Mary-Sue character in a novel. But real life isn't like that Maria, everyone has flaws but we learn to look past them and see the happiness that they bring us. What I ask of you is this: Maria please give Ray another chance, you have yet to grasp the true man behind the portrait you've painted of him, the living, breathing human being and not the cold, lifeless sculpture you make him out to be."

And with that she walked past Maria, still with so much grace that she appeared to glide. Mari stood there staring at the spot Mary had been standing, the words running through her head, burrowing their way into her conscious.


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